In Mexico City, a former CIA operative swears vengeance on those who committed an unspeakable act against the family he was hired to protect.In Mexico City, a former CIA operative swears vengeance on those who committed an unspeakable act against the family he was hired to protect.In Mexico City, a former CIA operative swears vengeance on those who committed an unspeakable act against the family he was hired to protect.
- A.J. Quinnell(novel)
- Brian Helgeland(screenplay)
- Stars
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWriter Brian Helgeland first saw the original Man on Fire (1987) when he was renting videos in the late '80s. He walked in to the video store where Quentin Tarantino was working and asked what was good. Tarantino recommended "Man on Fire".
- GoofsAfter Pita is kidnapped, the police chief gives her full name as "Pita Martin Ramos". Not only is the child's real first name "Lupita," but according to Mexican name customs, the father's surname should go first, making it "Lupita Ramos Martin".
- Crazy creditsSpecial thanks to Mexico City. A very special place.
- Alternate versionsEuropean (PAL) version of the DVD lack the stylized subtitles found through the movie, except for a few in the beginning. Those subtitles are found in the form of regular DVD subtitles.
- ConnectionsFeatured in HBO First Look: The Making of 'Man on Fire' (2004)
- SoundtracksThe Mark Has Been Made
Written by Trent Reznor
Performed by Nine Inch Nails
Courtesy of Nothing/Interscope Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises
Review
Featured review
Underrated and ignored, but a bit of a classic
Tony Scott can make good films and bad, personally I think he can be a bit flashy and trashy and his work obviously suffers in comparison with that of his rather famous brother, but this is quite possibly his best film.
What makes this film so great is that Scott gives Denzel (on scorching form, better than Training Day) and the revelation who is Dakota Fanning time to develop a relationship of real warmth and tenderness. The set up is absolutely NOT boring, although it takes time - it is involving, and takes us on a little journey into the characters - including a superb role for Radha Mitchell as the mother. This all serves to make the action so much more effective, as we are so invested in the characters, for all their all too obvious weaknesses. This film has you on the edge for its entirety, and doesn't cop out at the end either.
The film would of course be nothing without Washington. I often wonder why he seems to get so many duff roles, when he quite clearly is as good as almost any leading man out there (I can only really think of one, Daniel Day Lewis, who has more on-screen power these days). This film should have been huge, given his status and the strength of his performance, and the quality of the film. It just goes to show you that if a studio doesn't back a film to the hilt, it ends up going straight to video. I wish I'd got the chance to see this on the big screen.
What makes this film so great is that Scott gives Denzel (on scorching form, better than Training Day) and the revelation who is Dakota Fanning time to develop a relationship of real warmth and tenderness. The set up is absolutely NOT boring, although it takes time - it is involving, and takes us on a little journey into the characters - including a superb role for Radha Mitchell as the mother. This all serves to make the action so much more effective, as we are so invested in the characters, for all their all too obvious weaknesses. This film has you on the edge for its entirety, and doesn't cop out at the end either.
The film would of course be nothing without Washington. I often wonder why he seems to get so many duff roles, when he quite clearly is as good as almost any leading man out there (I can only really think of one, Daniel Day Lewis, who has more on-screen power these days). This film should have been huge, given his status and the strength of his performance, and the quality of the film. It just goes to show you that if a studio doesn't back a film to the hilt, it ends up going straight to video. I wish I'd got the chance to see this on the big screen.
helpful•17219
- bt-wells99-1
- Feb 4, 2010
Details
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- 2 hours 26 minutes
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